Millions of people become displaced each year by natural disasters, such as floods, and internal disasters such as wars. These sorts of disasters have a tendency to displace large numbers of people in a very short time frame. People can be displaced for months, years and in some cases even generations. For example, the length of time that people are displaced by natural disasters in developed countries is typically between 4 and 12 months, whereas in third world countries, they are typically displaced between 3 and 5 years.
Previously, aid organisations, such as the Red Cross™, have provided temporary accommodation for people displaced by the disaster. However, existing solutions typically provide short term fixes to long term problems. Temporary accommodation has a number of associated problems. These problems are largely directed to the terrain, location and the climate in which the disaster occurred. Temporary accommodation has previously been established by way of providing canvas tents, for example, to displaced people. Notwithstanding that the tents may offer some protection from the elements, they may not provide the requisite security for the vulnerable members of the community. For example, there is a high incidence of rape of women and theft from the elderly. Given these considerations, it is generally desirable to provide temporary but secure housing for people displaced by a natural disaster, for example.
Other issues facing displaced people are that the community structure breaks down and little focus is given to rebuilding it. People are 100 percent reliant on government aid and other people's goodwill and food provisions. There is a continual reliance on first line support for basic shelter, clean water and basic food provisions. Temporary housing solutions, including tents and makeshift dwellings, need continual maintenance and replacement. Due to the high concentration of people, there is typically a high incidence of disease and lack of hygiene. People lack the opportunity to become part of their own solution. There is generally an inability to adequately care for the vulnerable.
It is generally desirable to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the above mentioned difficulties, or at least provide a useful alternative.